song\ and\ dance

song\ and\ dance
noun informal
1. Foolish or uninteresting talk; dull nonsense. Usually used with "give".

I met Nancy today and she gave me a long song and dance about her family.

2. A long lie or excuse, often meant to get pity. Usually used with "give".

Billy gave the teacher a song and dance about his mother being sick as an excuse for being late.

The tramp asked us for money and tried to give us a big song and dance about having to buy a bus ticket to Chicago.


Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • song-and-dance — song and dance, Informal. an explanation or account, not necessarily true, and often intended to impress or deceive: »What s all this I hear about some song and dance you gave Colonel Snow about not wanting to join...? (Sinclair Lewis). song and… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Song and Dance — ist ein Musical von Andrew Lloyd Webber (Musik) und Don Black (Texte). Bemerkenswert daran ist, dass der erste Akt (Song) des Werkes komplett gesungen wird, während der zweite Akt (Dance) hauptsächlich aus Tanzdarbietungen besteht.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • song and dance — ☆ song and dance n. 1. singing and dancing, esp. in vaudeville 2. Informal talk, esp. an explanation, that is pointless, devious, or evasive …   English World dictionary

  • song and dance — song′ and dance′ n. Informal. an extended, often self justifying explanation that may be irrelevant or untrue • Etymology: 1870–75, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • Song and Dance — Infobox Musical name=Song and Dance imagesize=300px caption= music= Andrew Lloyd Webber lyrics= Don Black, additional lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. book= basis= productions= 1982 West End 1985 Broadway 2007 Israel awards= Song and Dance is a… …   Wikipedia

  • song and dance — noun 1. theatrical performance combining singing and dancing • Hypernyms: ↑performance, ↑public presentation 2. an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse • Syn: ↑fairytale, ↑fairy tale, ↑fairy story, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • song and dance — 1) N UNCOUNT: usu N n A song and dance act is a performance in which a person or group of people sing and dance. 2) PHRASE (disapproval) If you say that someone is making a song and dance about something, you mean they are making an unnecessary… …   English dictionary

  • song and dance — {n.}, {informal} 1. Foolish or uninteresting talk; dull nonsense. Usually used with give . * /I met Nancy today and she gave me a long song and dance about her family./ 2. A long lie or excuse, often meant to get pity. Usually used with give . *… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • song and dance — {n.}, {informal} 1. Foolish or uninteresting talk; dull nonsense. Usually used with give . * /I met Nancy today and she gave me a long song and dance about her family./ 2. A long lie or excuse, often meant to get pity. Usually used with give . *… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • song and dance — Synonyms and related words: Broadway musical, Singspiel, act, afterpiece, ballad opera, ballet, ballet divertissement, bamboozlement, befooling, bit, bluffing, calculated deception, chaser, chorus show, circumvention, comedy ballet, comic opera,… …   Moby Thesaurus

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